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Transcript

The Lottery: Adaptations and Creative Retelling

By Lauren Engle

"Details of contemporary small town American life are contrasted with an annual ritual known as "the lottery." In a small village of about 300 residents, the locals are in an excited yet nervous mood on June 27. Children gather stones as the adult townsfolk assemble for their annual event, that in the local tradition has been practiced to ensure a good harvest (one character quotes an old proverb: "Lottery in June, corn be heavy soon"), though there are some rumors that nearby communities are talking of "giving up the lottery."

In the first round of the lottery, the head of each family draws a small slip of paper from a black box; Bill Hutchinson gets the one slip with a black spot, meaning that his family has been chosen. In the next round, each Hutchinson family member draws a slip, and Bill's wife Tessie—who had arrived late—gets the marked slip. In keeping with tradition, each villager obtains a stone and begins to surround Tessie. The story ends as Tessie is stoned to death while she bemoans the unfairness of the situation."

First completed as a novel for a horror competition in 1996, but was rejected due to its content. It was finally published in 1999 and was a run away hit from there. In 2000, a film adaptation was created and became Japan's 2nd highest grossing film ever. However, it was only recently released in America due to the popularity of the Hunger Games. Before, it was considered too "brutal" for the American Audience.

"In the beginning of the 21st Century, the economy of Japan is near a total collapse, with high rates of unemployment and students boycotting their classes. The government approves the Battle Royale Act, where one class is randomly selected and the students are sent to an island wearing explodable necklaces with few supplies and one weapon. After three days, they have to kill each other and the survivor wins his or her own life as a prize. The 42 students of a ninth-grade class are selected to participate in the survival game and abducted while traveling in their bus. Under the command of their former teacher Kitano, they have to eliminate each other following the rules of the sadistic game where only one wins."

Thank you!

Now, prepare for the Lottery...

The Hunger Games

By Suzanne Collins

"In a Dystopian future, the totalitarian nation of Panem is divided between 12 districts and the Capitol. Each year two young representatives from each district are selected by lottery to participate in The Hunger Games. Part entertainment, part brutal retribution for a past rebellion, the televised games are broadcast throughout Panem. The 24 participants are forced to eliminate their competitors while the citizens of Panem are required to watch. When 16-year-old Katniss's young sister, Prim, is selected as District 12's female representative, Katniss volunteers to take her place. She and her male counterpart Peeta, are pitted against bigger, stronger representatives, some of whom have trained for this their whole lives. "

1996 TV Adaptation

- Taken from IMDb, written by Suzanne Collins

Synopsis

Battle Royale

by Koushun Takami

The TV film continues where the short story ends. The movie actually ends up changing names but most are kept the same. In the movie, the town does the tradition for religious. Davy Hutchinson, known as Jason Smith outside the town, was taken by his Father after his Mother's "death." His Father is dying in a mental hospital and wants his ashes to be put over his mother's grave. However, Davy/Jason keeps having flashbacks about his Mother's death. He learns later on that not only did he bare witness to his Mother's death but he also had a direct hand in it by participating in the ritual. Before this, he had suppressed any memories of participation of the ritual.

The townspeople will do anything to keep their crazed tradition going, but Davey/Jason challenges that and goes outside the town to get help. However, he ends up in the same mental hospital as his Father in the end.

Synopsis

Over Arching Themes

Direct Adaptations of the Story

"A chilling tale of conformity gone mad."

Ritual

Family

Tradition

Also, Mob Mentality.

Many big Pop Culture names have used "The Lottery" in their work. Even today, it is heavily used throughout all medias, such as:

  • The Simpsons, episode "The Dog of Death" (Homer thinks he can learn the secret to winning the Lottery by reading, "The Lottery."
  • 1951 Radio Version
  • Television Adaptation, Albert McCleery's Cameo Theater (1950-55)
  • 2 films were made, one in 1969 and a TV movie in 1996
  • South Park, episode "Britney's New Look" (Based off the story.)
  • Marilyn Manson's music video for song "Man You Fear Most."
  • Squidbillies, episode "Double Truckin on the Tricky Do."
  • Fall Out New Vegas
  • Bioshock: Infinite

"Lottery in June, Corn be Heavy Soon."

- Taken from IMDb, written by Claudio Carvalho

The Lottery Process

Synopsis

-Taken from IMDb

The process begins the night before, where Mr. Summers and Mr. Graves prepare the slips of paper where the heads of households must draw for the entire family. No one is allowed to look at their slips until everyone has drawn. For this first round, the men have to at least be 16 in order to draw. However, once a family receives a black dot on their slip anyone is allowed to draw for the second round. Once the second round begins, everyone in that family draws and whoever receives the black dot is sacrificed that year.

The Lottery

The Writer Behind the Story

A quick back story

1916-1965

  • Shirley Jackson began writing for the New Yorker in 1948, when she published "The Lottery."
  • It generated the largest amount of letters they had ever received to date. Almost all were incredibly hateful, which included her mother saying:

"Dad and I did not care at all for your story in The New Yorker," she wrote sternly; "it does seem, dear, that this gloomy kind of story is what all you young people think about these days. Why don't you write something to cheer people up?"

  • Born in San Francisco in 1916
  • She spent her childhood in Burlingame, California where she began writing short stories as a young teenager.
  • Shirley Jackson did attend the University of Rochester, but dropped out after a year.
  • However, she did continue on with her writing and wrote a minimum of 1,000 words a day.

Shirley Jackson, 1949

  • The Story was even banned in South Africa, which afterwords, it began receiving recognition. Today, it is even considered the most famous American Short Story ever written.
  • To this day, it is still being taught in literature classes throughout High Schools and Colleges.
  • Then, Shirley entered Syracuse University in 1937, where she wrote her first short story, "Janice."
  • She married her husband, Stanley Edgar Hyman, where they later moved to North Bennington, Vermont.

All images found on Google

The Movie Symbols vs. The Book Cover Symbols

All designs by Tim O'Brien

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